ME4: A Galaxy Falls
by Justanotherghostwriter
Summary: Shepard must rise once again to face an enemy that wants to destroy everything he saved. But can he handle the pressures weighing down on him? Can he win this fight and move on with his life? Or will he crumble under the weight? Paragade MShep. Post ME3, Post Dest. (M rating just a precaution). Please enjoy and R&R!
1. Prologue: For You, I

**_Author's Note: I do not own Mass Effect or any of their intellectual property. This is for shits and giggles. I'm not Bioware or EA._**

 ** _April 17, 2188- RnR Motels Unit 7- New York City, Earth_**

I stared into the mirror. It was uncomfortable. The man who stared back at me was a stranger. A long, angry scar ran horizontally across my face, just below my eyes. _Shrapnel. April 18, 2181._ That was a bad day. Lots of blood shed on my part, lots of swearing on Garrus's part, and lots of tears shed on Liara's part. But the scar wasn't what was bothering me. Soldiers get hurt. It was what was just above it. The large swathes of discolored flesh on my chest and stomach, the vicious remnant of a close encounter with a batarian's blade on my right bicep, the small gift Kai Leng gave me on Thessia-just above my left knee; all of it was insignificant compared to that one red eye. It wasn't completely red, just the iris; but compared to the deep blue of its counterpart it might as well be. The worst part was I knew I wasn't the only one bothered by it. It irked Liara too, even if she wouldn't admit it. The cybernetics that at one point repaired me seemed to be ironically degrading _me_. Everything that I was, is it still there? These were questions that I had been asking myself since my resurrection, questions that I had pushed to the side as hell descended on the galaxy. But now I would finally begin to face them head on. Starting today I had a new mission.

It was strange. As much as I had looked forward to this day, I had dreaded it. A year ago today the Crucible had fired. With that, the Citadel, the Geth, and of course, the Reapers were destroyed. And now, to celebrate the first anniversary of "Victory Day", they were holding a ceremony to honor _me_. The day would also serve as my retirement ceremony. And there again is the heart of my problem. The last year had been filled with a lot of excitement. The long recovery process of me and the galaxy at large began immediately, and was still underway. The Relay network took about six months of labor to fix, along with some truly astonishing feats of Quarian and Salarian engineering. The project itself was actually headed by Tali- after she married Garrus not two days after the war of course. I hadn't really had time to truly look in the mirror until now. The rebuilding of the infrastructure of the galaxy was still inching along and was being estimated at about thirty years of effort to return to its pre-war condition. Strangely enough the technical magic of the relay network didn't slow the engineers- it was the sheer amount of destruction of common buildings, ships, and power grids. As for myself, most of my burns and bruises were healed, and after battling some minor infections and receiving some surgical procedures; my health was almost back. I still have a small limp in my left leg, but even that was fading with the time. I hadn't really had time yet to begin my life.

But now I was _Retiring!_ Me! Commander Shepard! The Butcher of Torfan, the First Human Spectre, The Savior of the Citadel, the Bane of the Collectors, the Galactic Redeemer! I've been a soldier since I turned eighteen! And now, after twenty years of service, I'm standing here, looking in the mirror, counting the physical and mental toll of it all. Every last scar, nightmare, limp, and red-eye staring at me in the face. A toll that I didn't mind paying when I was a soldier, but now I'm worried I won't be able to pay it as a civilian. No more gunfights, ship battles, explosions to distract me- instead I'll be watching vids, raising little blue children, maybe throwing a Christmas party or two. I don't look like that guy. I certainly don't feel like that guy, no matter how much I want to. I-

A faint tapping on the bathroom door broke my train of thought. "Shepard, are you okay? Can I come in?" The voice was unmistakable. Sweet and understated, with more confidence than it had when I first heard it, yet always a little modest. And right now, a little worried.

"Of course," I replied easily. To my left the door swung open, revealing an Asari maiden. About a foot shorter than I was, with blue orbs for eyes. She wore an amethyst-colored gown that accented her curves very nicely. She always possessed generous curves, but the effect was intensifying by the day. A baby on board will do that.

"You look handsome," she said lightly, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind, and resting her head on my back.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, a small grin etching itself across my face. She loved my dress blues, about as much as she knew I hated them. They were uncomfortable and stuffy and annoying and a plethora of other adjectives; yet she always said they made me look _handsome_. "Hm, flatterer," I teased back, spinning in her embrace so I could face her, even though I had to almost look straight down to see her face. I wrapped her up in my own arms and planted a kiss on her crest.

"That's my line," she replied with mock outrage. I laughed, feeling better than I did just before. I felt her push lightly out of my embrace as she stepped back. "How do I look?" She asked, to my joy with _actual_ uncertainty. It was one of the reasons I initially fell for her. The effect of someone so innocent while the world fell apart was… intoxicating, and I was beyond happy that some of that survived the destruction.

"Liara T'Soni, now and always, you look _amazing_ ," I answered seriously. I honestly thought she looked great after the battle with the Thorian on Feros- and she was covered in plant bile. It's all about perspective I supposed.

Satisfied, she closed the gap once again and stood on her tip-toes, planting a small kiss on my cheek. The gesture was small, but the effect was enormous. An inferno blazed from the point of contact, and for the moment quite literally burned away the doubts that were festering in my gut. No matter how I look, no matter how many dead souls stood on my shoulders; for her, I'd bear the weight –as long as I could.

"Flatterer," she said simply before falling back on her feet. I knew what was coming next, of course. She did it obsessively last time I wore my dress blues. Her hands began working across my left breast, adjusting and straightening the medals and ribbons. Much to what I suspected was her joy, there were a lot of them. Medals of Honor, Valor, Courage. A Purple heart, a Turian Supercluster, a Salarian Dagger. Ribbons for achievements ranging from completed missions, to confirmed kills, to successful humanitarian relief efforts. I was… a very good soldier.

"You know there aren't going to be anyone there checking to see if my ribbons are straight, right?" I asked her casually.

"Shush," she replied simply, continuing her work meticulously. I held up my watch behind her head, and saw that we had five minutes until we were supposed to be at the Banquet Hall… in Vancouver. I decided I didn't care about punctuality at that moment and merely watched as she moved to my right breast, which was pretty much bare, save for a single row of ribbons and the large golden Systems Alliance logo. To my surprise, however, she didn't fuss over the ribbons. Instead, she procured two small pins from her purse. One was a gold "N7" logo, and the other was a golden Spectre insignia. They had to be custom made, because the Alliance and Council didn't issue anything like them. In fact, it was Alliance regulation to not wear specialist indicators of any kind on your dree blues. Only your rank and medals.

"I don't believe those are standard issue bling, Hon," I pointed out lightly as she fastened them right above the row of medals , and to the left of the Alliance logo.

"There is nothing standard-issue about you John Victor Shepard," she countered softly, at last standing back, and offering me her hand. "Ready?"

I thought back on everything I've done. The scars, nightmares, death, and doubt. About the questionable calls, genocide, and failures. But also of the friends found, people saved, and loves discovered. Really, there was only one answer.

"Let's go."

* * *

 **April 17, 2188- Systems Alliance HQ, Banquet Hall- Vancouver, Earth**

The taxi slowed and landed on a small platform outside the newly built Alliance HQ, the old one of course getting wiped out in the war. For whatever reason this new building was just as dull as its predecessor, I supposed the Alliance was fond of metallic grey. Liara and I stepped out of the skycar and were immediately greeted by a small contingent of Alliance soldiers. Unlike me, they were all dressed in actual military gear, not some stuffy suit-and armed to the teeth. They paused in front of us, and all of them snapped off into sharp salutes at my appearance.

"Commander Shepard! It's an honor Sir!" Their leader, a small female Lieutenant greeted me formerly. She was about Liara's size, with long brown hair tied into a very military tight bun. There was no disguising the awe in her voice, and I think she may have heard it herself, if the red forming around her cheeks were any indicator.

I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. I didn't like the hero-worship, I never did. Despite what Garrus may think of me and my "big head", I never liked to place myself above my subordinates. A policy that made me many friends over my career, and a few bureaucratic enemies…strangely enough.

"Please, it's just Shepard, Lieutenant…?" I let the question hang.

Taking the cue, she answered eagerly, "Dianne Cassidy, Mr. Shepard! I'm here to lead you and Ms. T'Soni to the ballroom."

I nodded my head at the expected answer. "Then lead on Ms. Cassidy," I replied happily, wrapping my arm around Liara's. But Cassidy didn't move.

She shifted her feet uncomfortably, and rubbed the back of her neck, looking thoroughly distressed. "Uh, well, actually Sir, I have a message from Admiral Hackett," she said hesitantly.

I merely raised my eyebrows in response, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, uh, the Admiral said that you wished for Ms. T'Soni to stand with you for the ceremony?" She asked, a small amount of disapproval ringing in her voice.

I frowned. I've always been an outstanding judge of character. It was a trait that I thought was essential to any aspiring leader, and one that I had spent a long time cultivating. It wasn't an exact science, but it was a game I was _really_ good at. Tone shifts, facial twitches, posturing- I could read them all like a book. If you had a tell, I would find it.

 _She disapproves, but doesn't want me to know. Liara standing with me breaks at least six different regulations. So it could be that she is a stickler for the rules. Or, perhaps she doesn't like that I'm emotionally involved with an alien. Either way, this woman isn't someone I would want on my ship._

"Yes, that is correct," I replied, my voice frosty. I suspected the latter, unfortunately for this woman. The idealism of Cerberus and Terra Firma were fringe beliefs at this point- but they still remained nonetheless. Bigotry had always disgusted me, and it had been something I worked hard against in my career. I had been actually very successful…Crazy what Lovecraftian-doomsday events does to the social perceptions of a galaxy. Still, it was a fight I never expected to win. I noticed that Liara looked at me in surprise, clearly thrown off by my change in tone. I paid her no attention for now, glaring at the young Lieutenant instead who blanched under the scrutiny.

"I-uh, meant no offense Sir! I was just told to inform you that our security force can't guarantee her safety while she is up on the stage," she replied quickly, looking rather shocked herself at the change in the air of the room.

I looked for anything in her face. Unfortunately all I saw was fear and confusion.

 _Hm, perhaps I was wrong. Maybe she is just a stickler for the rules…The problem with playing a game for so long, is sometimes you find you're the only one still playing._

Bigots were dangerous to have around. They were radical, and their judgement could be clouded, especially if they were in a position where they would be watching over my wife. People who followed protocol to the letter were simply _limited._

I sighed, deciding that the woman wasn't dangerous- and remembering some saying about assumptions. "Sorry Lieutenant, I'm just a little on edge- nerves I guess," I replied. I could still feel Liara's eyes boring into the side of my head. She knew me well enough to know that _that_ had nothing to do with nerves.

The Lieutenant gave me a quizzical look before replying. "It's fine Sir. If… you don't mind me saying, it seems a little odd that _you_ are afraid of a little retirement party."

I couldn't help but snort in amusement. On the one hand I agreed with her; I knew all my fears were completely baseless and rather tame considering I was fighting death incarnate just a year ago. On the other hand, I couldn't shake this... feeling. I've been like this for months now. Chasing at shadows, only to find out it's just me. Shaking my head and telling myself it was probably some latent form of PTSD mixed with my belief that I _couldn't_ retire and live a normal life; I glanced over to Liara at last, this was her decision after all. She was the one who originally brought up the idea of her standing with me.

"Liara, do you still want to-," I began before she cut me off.

"Yes," she replied in such a way that left no room for argument. I wasn't surprised by her answer, but I definitely was hoping for a change of heart. Ever since I sent her away on Normandy during the battle of Earth, she'd been determined to not let me leave her behind again. I didn't mind this attitude, but I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of putting her and my daughter in any unnecessary danger.

Sighing in resignation, I turned back to the Lieutenant and took Liara's hand in mine as I did. "You heard the lady. She wants a front row seat for this one," I said, smiling as Liara gave my hand a thankful squeeze. I had to start putting this paranoia and fear behind me, and this was as good a place to start as any.

"As you wish Shepard, if you follow me we can lead you and Ms. T'Soni to the ballroom, everyone's waiting on us," she replied, turning to lead us down the ramp.

"What was that about? Are you okay?" Liara whispered quietly as well walked behind the phalanx of soldiers, being sure to keep her voice low as to not be over heard.

I looked over to her, and immediately felt bad. Her eyes were wide with worry, her face drawn into a small frown. _The second time today you've scared her, and for what? Worrying about things in your head? No one is in danger. You CAN be a normal person. And the only thing that stands in your way is yourself._

"Don't worry about it Love, it's nothing." I replied in my own whisper. She gave me that look. The one that said _I don't believe you or that bullshit you're trying to sell me._ To which I added, "I promise, I'm fine."

To my surprise the ceremony began as soon as we got inside. I didn't get a chance to greet anyone before aides corralled Liara and I onto the stage. The Ballroom was beautiful. The room itself was circular with tall cathedral ceilings, from which flags of every nation of Earth draped down in a circle- all of them surrounding a single Systems Alliance banner that was suspended from the middle of the room. Just below the ceiling there were large windows ringing the entire amphitheater, allowing the advantage of natural light for events held here during the day. The stage itself was positioned in the back of the room, and was fairly plain except for the single podium in the middle. To the left of the stage there was a large court-bench with five seats, and would no doubt be the location of the Alliance Admiralty Assembly. This assembly was simply composed of the admirals of each fleet, and was of course led by Admiral Hackett himself. After the war Hackett reduced the number of Fleets from eight to six, and made each fleet larger instead. His reasoning was never explained to me, but I could guess his motive. Heavy losses had probably left most of the fleets non-functional after the Battle for Earth, and six larger fleets were more threatening anyway than eight small ones. The loss in tactical maneuvering was of course real, but since the war the Alliance had dropped into a much more defensive stance, using the six fleets to defend a few key relays, and of course the Sol System. Again, this left the Traverse and Terminus colonies largely unprotected, but the Terminus systems was involved in a brutal civil war and piracy in the Traverse had plummeted over the last year. Whether the fleet distribution would continue as fleet numbers slowly grew back to their pre-war numbers I couldn't guess.

However, at that time Hackett's seat was vacant. Instead he stood at the podium, and was clearly going to be directly involved with this ceremony. I gave him a respectful nod as one of the small aides was jabbering on, telling me and Liara where to stand and the procedures and what not. I had no interest in such things, although Liara seemed enthralled.

The graying Admiral saw and returned the gesture with a _smile_. Admiral Steven Hackett was many things, but as long as I had known him he was never a man who _smiled_. I shook my head in wonder before returning my attention to the Admiralty. The cynic inside my head told me it was a poor tactical decision to have them all in one place. Nonetheless I found I recognized almost all of them.

The First Fleet was headed by Admiral Ines Lindholm. A tall, wiry man with paste for skin and flames for hair. I knew him only by reputation. He was fairly young, considered to be a loose-cannon, and was by far the most liberal Admiral in terms of enforcing regulations. If his totally against-regulation beard was any indicator, that policy extended from his troops all the way to himself. By reputation I respected him the most besides Hackett and my Mother. Our command-styles were similar, and his results during the war were mostly positive.

To his left, rather surprisingly was the now _Admiral_ Boris Mikhailovich. I knew he was promoted after the battle with Sovereign at the Citadel, but back then he was a part of the Fifth Fleet. Apparently Hackett decided he was the man for the job of rebuilding the annihilated Second Fleet and had transferred him. For once I couldn't have disagreed with him more. Protocol was that man's blood, and the "box" was his house- and he would never leave it.

Nitesh Singh led the Third Fleet. Short, stocky, and of Indian decent- the man was a tactical genius and had a long, spotless record. He was the antithesis of Lindholm, and was highly respected by his peers, if not his subordinates. Charisma was something he lacked, however, and thus the nickname "Cyborg Singh" had followed him throughout his career. I liked Singh, however. Not personally, but I found him to be an excellent tactician- certainly the brightest of the Admirals. Some people were personable, and some weren't. For him the latter worked just fine.

Finally, that last spot was filled by someone I didn't recognize at all. A young woman, no older than thirty, with platinum blonde hair tied into a tight bun. Her dress blues were noticeably less bursting with awards than her colleagues, and her eyes were a cold green.

 _Young, relatively green, and… an Admiral? That's… interesting._

"What are you looking at?" Liara's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"That Admiral over there. She's awfully young and I don't recognize her," I said quietly. I noticed the aid was gone, and everyone was beginning to take their seats below. Instead of chairs the room utilized benches for whatever reason.

Liara followed my gaze to the Fourth Fleet Admiral, and her face lit up. "Oh, that's Admiral Josephine Drescher. She's the daughter of Kastanie Drescher," she replied in a whisper.

 _Oh!_

I instantly recognized the name of the former Second Fleet Admiral, and former war hero. I also remembered what happened to the second fleet when the Reapers arrived. All the puzzle pieces were falling into place.

 _Inherited an Admiralty huh? That's very un-Hackett-like to promote someone based on lineage. We either are running dangerously low on Admirals or that girl has to be every bit of her mother._

Finally, next to Drescher sat a very recognizable face. Shorter than me but taller than Liara; platinum blonde hair that appeared to be finally graying, and a grin on her face that was almost sickeningly smug. Hannah Shepard. Where Hackett was the stabilizing force of the admiralty my mother was the radical. Always quick to respond with overwhelming force, her main strategy focused on mostly- "I have a gun, it's large, and I WILL use it." While we hadn't always seen eye-to-eye, I loved my mother. After the war we both recovered on medical stretchers next to each other- it was alphabetical. In a rather strange turn of events, she was able to meet all of my friends while getting her bandages changed.

Anyway, that same day my mother had also found out Liara and I were involved. Her exact words were: "You better not be fucking that girl without being married first. I'm able to work past the whole undead cyborg-thing but that would be over the line- I don't care how many galaxies you save." She made Grunt look tactful, although everyone got a good laugh out of that- besides Liara who simply changed colors rather dramatically to a deep purple.

Grunt and Wrex told Liara I came from good breeding stock after that.

I smiled at my mother and gave her a wave which she returned happily, still looking smug. It was the same look she had at my high school graduation, and my N school graduation. She liked to brag, and my successes were her favorite subject- besides her own. She also waved at Liara, who also returned it happily. Despite their initially rocky start, I was now pretty sure the two of them were plotting against me. There are only so many times a man can watch his wife and mother exchange years of embarrassing material without coming to that conclusion.

I noticed the room had gone quiet. Everyone had finished shuffling about below and was in their seats. Looking out on the crowd the use of benches was made clear immediately. The large frames of Urdnot Wrex and Urdnot Grunt were easily distinguishable from everyone else, and the idea of them trying to fit into human chairs was laughable. I smiled and gave them a wave, which Grunt returned enthusiastically, but Wrex just looked bored with the whole situation. It was hard to keep his attention without guns.

The rest of my friends were easy to find as well. Many of them were as distinctive as two krogan apparently. Jack and Miranda were towards the back. "Cheerleader", "Fuck", and "Boy scout" were easily heard, despite the distance. Jacob Taylor was sitting with Brynn Cole not too far away from them, their son Johnny was drawing annoyed glances to them. The crying infant apparently could not be consoled, despite his parent's insistence.

Joker sat with Doctor Chakwas, Samantha Traynor, Engineer Adams, and even Kelly Chambers. The four of them were involved in some excited conversation, and looked _happy._ While Traynor was usually peppy, Chambers had been battling severe PTSD and depression for months, as was Dr. Chakwas-albeit more quietly. But they both looked happier than they had in a while, Kelly benefiting from counseling ironically from what I'd heard; and Chakwas from her relationship with Adams, who was always her rock. Not to mention Karin was also enjoying her new job, one that was far away from a war zone- for once. Joker himself had been dealing with depression for the last year. He was really attached to EDI… he actually blamed me at first for her death. The fact that he was here tonight warmed my heart, although I doubted he totally forgave me, or that we could ever truly be friends again. It was hard, I considered him family, just like the rest of my team. Hopefully those feeling would eventually pass.

The one man standing in the room was Zaeed Massani, who appeared to be cleaning his fingernails with a large combat knife. He was unsurprisingly in his full armor, and much to my own amusement was gathering the same fearful glances as the two Krogan battle masters.

I noticed Kasumi Goto was _apparently_ absent. I didn't bother looking too hard for her; I knew she was there somewhere.

Kolyat Krios was sitting next to Samara and Steven Cortez. They were engaged in a polite, quiet conversation. The only reason I noticed them at all was he was the only Drell in the room. However, a male human who was sitting right next to Samara _clearly_ noticed her. His mouth was agape as he stared at the Justicar's chest. I had to stifle a laugh as a female human next to him-presumably his date, elbowed him hard in the gut.

James Vega and Kaidan Alenko sat fairly close to the front. They were a strange pair. Kaidan looked distraught as Vega, with his feet up on the bench in front of him and laughing away, appeared to be throwing… _raisins_ at some turian who was sitting in the front row. Where he got them I couldn't guess.

It was only funnier when I looked closer at the turian and saw a blue eyepiece over his left eye and the familiar young Quarian draped under his right arm.

"James looks like he is having fun," Liara murmured softly.

I opened my mouth to reply but was interrupted by Hackett clearing his throat over the loudspeaker. The crowd was immediately quiet and still, even Vega and Jacob's baby were instantly showing the Admiral absolute respect. I turned my full attention to him as well, just as he began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome," his voice was dry, and subdued. His hands were folded up on the small podium, his head bowed. "A year ago today we found salvation in defeat, light in the dark, and friendship in our rivals; a true victory against all odds," he began quietly, still not looking up at the crowd, who were nonetheless hanging onto his every word. "The Reaper War has left us with a cost like no other war before it, however. We could honor an individual we lost every day from now until the end of time- and never get through the list," he continued with a little more power. I noticed the Admirals were all giving him their fullest attention as well-except one individual. Admiral Drescher looked _bored_ , and seemed to be more interested in the clock than the Admiral.

"But thanks to many spectacular individuals, we at least get the chance to pay that debt of honor," Hackett continued, and to my surprise turned and looked directly at me before finishing. "But none more spectacular than our guest today, Commander Shepard, please step forward."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and offered my arm to Liara, putting Drescher out of mind. I was surprised this was moving so quickly, usually these speeches lasted at least ten minutes. Then again, that wasn't Hackett's style. Liara's eyes were glowing with tears as she took my arm with a grateful smile. Together we walked over to Hackett, and I couldn't help but feel a little excited. He never told me what to expect when he scheduled this event, just that I would be recognized for my career before I retired.

We stopped about a meter away from him, and he greeted us with a formal salute. I knew how these things worked, and dropped Liara's arm to match the greeting.

"Commander John Victor Shepard, I have to say that the Admiralty and I were faced with quite the dilemma when deciding what your award should be. There isn't much precedence for saving the galaxy multiple times, not to mention you are one of our most decorated officers regardless," Hackett continued far less formally and loud enough so that everyone could hear him.

I grinned. "Sir, I don't need any award for doing my job," I replied lightly. I knew he wasn't really interested in my opinion on this particular matter, but it was true. Besides, it wasn't like the Reapers were going to just leave me be if I just sat on my hands. I did what I had to, what anyone would've done in my position.

He chuckled, clearly reading my mind. "Perhaps, but that's not the conclusion we came to," he replied lightly before turning back to podium to address the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, in light of his unparalleled history of service, character, and honor that knows no boundaries, The Systems Alliance, Asari Republics, Salarian Union, and Turian Hierarchy would like to commission to Commander Shepard the first ever cross-species recognition of military excellence," he said, a hint of pride in his voice as he reached under the podium and retrieved a small black box. To my surprise, several other faces I recognized walked out onto the stage.

Primarch Adrien Victus, Councilor Tevos, and-much to my disgust, Dalatrass Linron. They were all wearing formal clothes, and looked fairly happy- well, Linron didn't look _unhappy_ anyway. I took a moment to greet all of them, shaking the hands of Victus and Tevos and Linron. My happiness in seeing them descended in that order. Still, I was honored that they were even here, and the significance of that didn't go above my head.

"Commander, without further ado, I'm proud to present to you the first ever _Shepard Medallion of Heroism_ , congratulations. I can honestly say that you are more than deserving of this honor," Hackett said, opening the box revealing the medal. It was large, clearly designed to go around my neck, and gold. I bit back a laugh when I saw the shape, It was the Normandy-flying off to who knows where. It's trail wrapping about it forming a perfect circle.

I felt my chest swell with pride as I stepped forward and lowered my head, allowing Hackett to drape the medal over my head. With that, the crowd erupted into applause.

I tried to smile…but something wasn't right, it wasn't working... The chaos in the room didn't match the disorder in my head. Thoughts were slowing, like they were moving through mud. Whatever this was, it was hitting me fast… The light seemed to refract, and dissonance began to settle in my mind.

 _I-uh. Wait… no this isn't right. Think… think._ I willed myself. It didn't work.

I noticed Hackett had moved aside from the podium, and was indicating that I take his place.

 _A speech, they want me to give a speech… I- I can do- what was I doing?_

I shook my head, trying to bring order to my world which was now spinning out of control. There was murmuring in the crowd below, they clearly were beginning to sense a problem as well. Hackett approached me, and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Shepard, are you okay?" He asked, his face drawn into a concerned scowl.

"I-, argh!" I yelled, a spike of pain smacked me in the base of my skull. My left knee buckled, and suddenly I was being held up by the Admiral, and…Primarch Victus? I think…

"Shepard!" I heard Liara scream from behind me. Years of military training, drilled into my head like a second nature, kept spurring one word forward through the haze. _Poison. Poison. Poison._ I tried to form the word, but nothing came, my lips floundered like fish. _How was I even poisoned…? I- wait… I'm still missing something…_

"Call a medic!" Hackett ordered sternly to someone… I didn't care. I pulled myself to my feet, despite someone telling me to relax. My instincts told me that whatever this was, it wasn't going to kill me… which meant that there was something else going on… I was just MISSING it!

I whirled around, trying to see. The admiralty was murmuring amongst themselves-except for Drescher who just stared at me. My mother was standing up, her face drawn into a concerned scowl. The crowd was mulling about uneasily, Liara's eyes were wide with fear…I saw it.

A red dot. All the dignitaries in the room, the opportunity that was currently standing around as if lost, and the dot was currently resting on Liara's stomach. Why her I had no idea. Admirals, foreign and domestic leaders, all in one room; but the dot was on her stomach. No one else had noticed, and my blood ran cold, time was ticking away...running out. I tried calling on my biotics… a barrier, that's what I needed!

Nothing, just a dull pain at the base of my skull. _Poison…_

I made my decision, really, it was an easy one. There was only one thing to do. I lunged toward Liara, a quick shove, gunshot, screams, and pain- as everything fell to shadow.

 _ **Author's Note: So here's the deal- any of my previous projects are being put on hold so I can write this. I'm sorry for those of you who were expecting an update, hopefully at some point I'll get back to them. As for this project, any writing that looks like this is an author's, or the setting of a scene. Any time I change perspective or setting- there will be one of those fancy horizontal line things. I also feel the need to note that Destruction isn't my ending of choice, but for the purpose of this piece I will love it dearly. Anyway, I hope you all loved the Prologue, the next few chapters are already in the factory! Updates will probably be random, so stay vigilant! Thanks Guys! Please R &R, it's my fuel.**_


	2. The Shot Heard Around the Galaxy

**_Chapter 1: The Shot Heard Around the Galaxy_**

 ** _April 17, 2188- Alliance HQ, Hackett's Office- Vancouver, Earth (1 Hour After Attack)_**

Admiral Steven Hackett was sitting at his desk in the dimly lit office. The desk was made of a rich mahogany, polished to the point where he could make out his reflection in the wood. He was perfectly alone for the moment, free to collect his thoughts while guards mulled about outside. It had been an hour since shots had interrupted what was supposed to be a peaceful ceremony. Instead, he now had a hero and personal friend in intensive care, a military in disarray, and a terrorist that remained at large.

He shook his head bitterly and reached for the tumbler of Scotch-neat, that sat on his desk and drained it in one gulp. He grimaced and began to think of a course of action. Until the assassin was brought in, or their motives discovered, this was strictly a military police matter. For him to take action against a sovereign power, he needed Alliance Parliamentary and Citadel Council authority. However, unless such a link between the assassin and a government were established, he had the entirety of the Systems Alliance Military at his disposal. He doubted such a link existed, as he couldn't think of a foreign power that would wish to take out Shepard's unborn child.

For that matter, he couldn't think of any reason for _anyone_ to do that.

He certainly hoped there was no link, as both the Citadel Council and the Alliance Parliament were still defunct. The Alliance had yet to select a replacement for Udina, and Councilor Valern had stepped down after the conclusion of the war. The Parliament couldn't hold a session until elections were finished next month, and the new Prime Minister would have to wait another three months after that to take any action, for his or her inauguration wouldn't be finalized until then. For the last year all domestic issues had fallen to his desk, and all intergalactic issues had been put on hold.

He had always found it amusing how stressed Udina used to be. Now however, he found himself respecting the slimy bastard a little more.

Shaking his head, he hit the transmitter on his desk for his secretary.

"Admiral Hackett, Sir, what can I do for you?" The young woman's voice came over the transmitter. She sounded stressed, no doubt she was dealing with a lot of chaos out there.

"Sorry to bother you, Sergeant, but I need you to send the rest of the Admiralty to my office," He said solemnly. As long as he had the power to do so, he would do everything in his power to bring this… _terrorist_ to justice. He remembered a now famous quote that was said before the Reaper War. _"A fleet cannot track down one man."_

He was going to put that to the test.

* * *

 ** _April 17, 2188- Solus University Hospital, Intensive Care Unit- Vancouver, Earth (2 Hours After Attack)_**

Liara was tired. The last two hours had been incredibly hectic, and filled with more violence than she'd experienced in months. She didn't miss it. After the shots were fired, everything moved so fast. Grunt and Wrex set up a perimeter around Shepard, using the benches they were sitting on as a makeshift barricade. Meanwhile Samara, Kolyat, and the Alliance guards immediately evacuated the civilians with extreme efficiency. All things considered, the attack itself was minor. There was only one injury…

While they were doing that, Vega and Zaeed led Jack, _possibly_ Kasumi Goto, and rather surprisingly Jacob Taylor on a chase to find the would- be-murderer. Vega demonstrated superb leadership, while Zaeed brought years of man-hunting experience to the table. Between the two of them and the barely contained biotic rage that was Jack _and_ Jacob, she was sure they would succeed, although she hadn't heard from them yet.

It was strange, she'd never seen Jacob lose control before, but Garrus said he was sparking blue even as he ran out of the banquet hall after the assassins. But she wasn't worried about them.

Now she was sitting in this waiting room, waiting for news about the man she loved. Mass accelerated rounds don't do extensive damage-when you're wearing armor with full kinetic shielding. Shepard had neither, and the dress blues were a laughable defense. The single round hit him in his lower back, and caused severe trauma up into his chest cavity. If it wasn't for Miranda immediately applying medical care, with help from Tali- he'd be dead. Severe damage to his liver, spleen, pancreas, and stomach. A collapsed lung, five broken ribs, hairline fractures in the spinal column. Internal hemorrhaging, and rather weirdly- a dislocated hip; all adding up to far exceed the capacity of his cybernetics to repair.

One shot.

He still could die, but once they moved him to the Hospital, that became less likely. Not that she felt better about it. Solus Memorial Hospital was established shortly after the war ended, and has been recognized as one of the finest medical institutions in the galaxy- fitted with cutting edge technology, top medical professionals in every field, and a trauma and rehabilitation center that was unparalleled.

It was everything one would expect from a hospital whose Dean of Medicine was Doctor Karin Chakwas, and was named after Mordin Solus.

However, even they weren't prepared for Shepard's injuries, nor his cybernetics. Thus, Miranda was standing in as an expert advisor to Shepard's surgery.

 _Saving his life again. If he has a guardian angel, it's that woman._ She thought to herself, rather bitterly. Not to say she didn't like Miranda, it was quite the opposite in fact. Out of all the people Shepard recruited to take down the Collectors, it was her she admired the most. Her respect for Miranda knew no bounds, and her gratitude to the woman was even greater than that.

The problem was that she felt _guilty_ , when comparing herself to the woman. While there was no doubt that she herself contributed to Shepard's resurrection- Miranda rebuilt him. Every time Shepard had been seriously hurt on missions- Miranda wasn't there, but she was. Above Alchera- she left him. Thessia- she lost sight of Kai Leng just as he ran through Shepard's leg with his blade. 2181 Despoina- She let him take the mech down to meet with the Leviathans. The Battle of Earth- She left him, again.

She was Shepard's bond-mate, and yet she continuously seemed to have a more negative effect on his life than anyone else! She felt tears begin to sting her eyes, for what felt like the millionth time in the last hour as she stared down at her stomach, where her daughter would remain for a few more weeks.

 _How can I protect you, when I can't even protect the man I love?_

 _She_ was the one who wanted to stand with him, and because of that stupidity she almost got herself, Shepard, and their daughter killed.

"Asari!" Came the last voice she expected to hear at that moment. She peered down the hallway at the mountainous krogan who was walking towards her.

"Hello Grunt," she replied quietly. It was strange, as close as they both were to Shepard and the rest of their friends, she couldn't recall having a conversation with the young krogan-just the two of them. When he traveled with Shepard, she was actively trying to _avoid_ Shepard. When the Reaper War had broken out, he fought with the krogan as Wrex's most trusted General. The krogan stopped a few meters away from her and narrowed his eyes. "You're crying," he stated flatly.

She wiped the tears away sheepishly, and prepared herself for admonishment. Krogan did not respect weakness like this, and her thin-skin was obviously laughable to him. "Y- yes, I suppose I am."

Grunt peered down at her for second before doing something rather surprising. He patted her on the shoulder softly- well as softly as he could, and muttered, "Don't worry Asari, the Battlemaster won't die. Not now."

She looked up at him and gave him a faint smile, "Th-Thank you Grunt, I'm sure you're right."

He nodded and pulled back his hand, clearly happy the squishy moment was behind him. "The turian and Alenko are working with Wrex to set up a perimeter around the building. The krogan will stand guard until the Battlemaster recovers," he informed her as he took a seat next to her.

She nodded at the information. She would have to thank Wrex later for supplying troops. She then put it together and glared at Grunt. "And what about you? What are you doing here?"

"Me? I'm here to watch you. Don't want any bullets chewing up the Battlemaster's mate while he heals," Grunt replied tiredly. "He'd eat me if I did," he added.

She sighed. As good as her friends intentions were she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. She didn't need to be babied. Goddess, she fought in the Reaper War! Just because she was now pregnant and there were no Reapers bearing down on them didn't mean she had suddenly forgot how to fight. Annoyance had morphed into anger earlier after the shots had been fired. Garrus and Kaidan had charged the stage and grabbed _her_ , dragging her away from Shepard who was down and bleeding profusely.

She had tried to get back to Shepard, going so far as to biotically punch Kaidan off of her.

Apparently her bond-mate had a meeting a few days ago with the team and gave them orders on what to do if violence broke out. Garrus had recited the list to her as he restrained her.

 _1\. Get my wife OUT._

 _2\. Help with evacuating the dignitaries and civilians._

 _3\. Attend to any wounded._

 _4\. Catch the bad guys._

The team had executed his orders to the letter.

She still didn't say a word to either Garrus or Kaidan on the ride to the hospital. She understood why they did it, but separating her from Shepard at that moment was horrible. She didn't know what was going on for almost a half hour. He could've died on the spot and she would've had no idea. "Did Garrus and Kaidan put you up to this?"

"Heh, Heh, Heh. No, although they probably would've if I didn't volunteer first," Grunt replied, his classic chuckle echoing all the way down the hall.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. "Grunt, thank you, but I can take of myself."

"Heh, maybe. But-," he began to reply before he was interrupted by another voice.

"Where is she!?" Hannah Shepard demanded of Grunt as she stalked towards them. She was clearly livid, her voice colored with anger. Liara swallowed. She was happy that she was currently hidden from the Admiral's view by the hulking mass of krogan that sat beside her. No doubt Hannah blamed her as well for her son's injuries. She was disappointed, they had finally been getting along fairly well. Talking almost every day over the phone. She liked Shepard's mother. She was certainly different from her own, but also similar.

Like her own mother she was beautiful and powerful. Hannah Shepard commanded everyone's attention when she entered a room-whether through fear or admiration. Intelligent, yet maybe not as well-spoken as Benezia, and of course strong in her convictions. However unlike Benezia, Admiral Shepard was extremely emotional. Expressive to the extreme, she had no trouble… _wearing her heart on her sleeve_ , as Shepard had told her. She was… unsurprised by that. Shepard was certainly similar.

Calling upon all the bravery she had, she stuck her head out past Grunt's shoulder so that she was visible. The Admiral looked for the very first time since Liara had known her to be frazzled. Her hair that was tied up tight before now hung low and wild. Her eyes were fearful, her skin pale. "Here," she muttered, as she closed her eyes and braced herself for the Admiral's reprimand.

She was expected everything from personal attacks, to disappointment, to a full rejection of her and Shepard's bonding. What she got- was the human crashing into her in a relieved hug. "Thank God you made it here okay, dear. How are you? How is my grand-daughter? Have you heard anything about Johnny?" She rapidly fired off questions that had clearly been nagging her since the shooting.

She couldn't hide her surprise. "I- I'm okay. And the baby is fine- you're not upset with me?" She asked her uncertainly as she returned the hug. She heard Grunt snort derisively but ignored him.

"Upset with you? No, of course not! Why would you even- Liara, you didn't do anything wrong!" Hannah sputtered at the idea.

"If I didn't ask to stand with him-," Liara began before she was cut off.

"Johnny would've been too far away to save your life. They were intent on killing you, Liara, not him. If you weren't where you were they would've fired into the crowd and killed you, or had hit a civilian!" Hannah reasoned as she cupped Liara's cheeks in a very motherly fashion.

"But-," Liara tried again.

"No buts. I won't have you blaming yourself for something that isn't your fault. You're okay, my grand-daughter is okay, and since Grunt here isn't bawling like a little girl I'm assuming Johnny is okay?"

"Krogan don't cry," Grunt butted in defensively.

"That's adorable Grunt, but Wrex isn't here and you sure as hell ain't winning a pissing contest with me," Hannah shot back, some amusement returning to her eyes.

Liara smiled as Grunt made a noncommittal rumble. "Shepard… it's bad, Hannah. But, it looks like he will be okay."

Hannah sighed and nodded. "Good."

* * *

 ** _April 17, 2188- Alliance HQ, Hackett's Office- Vancouver, Earth (1.2 Hours After Attack)_**

The doors hissed open, revealing Admirals Lindholm, Singh, and Mikhailovich. The three of them were apparently involved in a whispered argument, which ceased as soon as they stepped into the office.

"Admirals," Hackett greeted them quietly. "Where is Admiral Drescher?" He asked them all, not really caring who answered.

"She apologizes, she says she'll be here in five," Lindholm said as he took his seat on the opposite of the desk, furthest to Hackett's right. Singh and Mikhailovich followed his lead, taking their seats and leaving the far left chair open for their absent colleague.

"And what of Hannah?" He asked them.

"She went to the Hospital. She mentioned that you would understand," Singh replied.

"Right, well let's get to it. Josephine can catch up when she arrives," Hackett said dismissively. "Have any of you found anything?"

"Sir, Alliance operatives just reported in ten minutes ago that their pursuit of the fugitive was unsuccessful. They also reported that Shepard's _vigilantes_ were still chasing the criminal. If you ask me, they could've interfered with the operatives. Saviors they may be, but military police they're not!" Mikhailovich stated hotly, clearly he had been holding this in since he entered the room, and even managed to looked relieved once he had gotten it off his chest.

Hackett noticed Lindholm roll his eyes on the far side of Singh, who just looked bored.

"Noted," Hackett said coolly. "Now does anyone have anything of note to report?" He continued, aggravated with Mikhailovich, who turned a violent red at the clear shrug-off, yet remained silent. He appreciated the Admiral's tenacity, and military acumen- but his stickler attitude was just tedious. It was as if he was a walking Alliance handbook.

"The Asari Republics, Turian Hierarchy, and Salarian Union are all denying responsibility. As are the various other alien governments. If we do not catch that assassin, we have no leads," Singh pointed out calmly.

"What of Shepard? Has there been any news?" Lindholm butted in, concerned.

"Nothing new. He's in surgery right now, his injuries were severe- but I'm sure he will be alright," Hackett replied. "He's a tough sonofabitch," He added, with a wry grin.

"I guess so. Not many survive injuries like that," Lindholm said, shaking his head in wonder.

Hackett opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by the door hissing again, revealing Admiral Drescher. The young Admiral was scowling furiously, and she took her seat without so much as acknowledging anyone else in the room.

"Admiral, so nice of you to join us," Hackett greeted her coolly. He didn't appreciate tardiness, especially now.

"Admiral," she returned the greeting curtly. "Sorry about that. I had trouble procuring a shuttle," she added.

"You run a fleet, surely that shouldn't be a problem?" Hackett asked her curiously.

"No, it shouldn't," she deadpanned.

He nodded his head, accepting the answer. Clearly someone hadn't done their job, and knowing Drescher- that person wouldn't have said job anymore.

"Right, so do you have anything to report?" Hackett asked her icily. He knew she would understand the meaning in the question. He had instructed her before the ceremony that Fourth Fleet would attend to the security of the event. The security that failed, rather miserably.

Drescher's scowl intensified, and she shook her head in disgust. "Remember Lieutenant Dianne Cassidy?"

Hackett thought for a moment, and then felt his gut tighten up once the young woman's face floated back from the recesses of his memory. She was the one Drescher chose to lead the security team, and the one who he had deliver his message to Shepard. "Yes. What of her?" Hackett replied, already guessing the answer.

Admiral Josephine Drescher wasn't one for long statements, apologies, or human emotion in general. She ran her troops hard, and expected nothing but perfection. It was the standard she always held herself to, and her success in doing so was a trademark of the Drescher line. Her response wasn't what Hackett would call ordinary. "I'm sorry Sir. I really am. But the other troops in Cassidy's unit reported her unresponsive since five minutes before the shots were fired… and since then she's been missing," bitterness coloring her voice.

Lindholm and Mikhailovich cursed, while Singh merely shook his head.

"Well, it sounds like we have our assassin," Hackett said quietly.

* * *

 ** _April 17, 2188- Solus University Hospital, Intensive Care Unit- Vancouver, Earth (2.5 Hours After Attack)_**

Miranda was exhausted. Emergency surgery was draining to begin with, but operating on a friend was just as demoralizing as it was an incentive to succeed. This time she was happy to say that she did. Shepard possessed since his rebuilding an incredible array of cybernetics. Luckily, none of these were severely damaged, and had begun work on repairing the Spectre as soon as he was hurt. The problem really was that the damage happened so quickly. The level of blood loss outpaced the repair procedures of the Cellular Repair Systems, or the CRS complex as it was designated by Cerberus.

Really, the system had two parts. One was the VI Nanobot control at the base of his brain, and the other was the team of about a billion nanobots that resided in his blood. Knowing this, all she did was allow them to catch up and repopulate, sealing his wounds and providing fluids. The doctors were confused when she instructed them to stop halfway through the procedure, but they soon saw the magic take place. Wounds sealed themselves with no scars, bleeding ceased, blood levels rose. Solus University Hospital might be the finest medical establishment in the galaxy, but she constructed the best medical _system_ in the galaxy.

What happened next, however, she didn't expect. Recognizing the danger it was in, the VI Complex did something strange. It initialized the SRICOD program, or the _Subject Recovery In Case Of Death program._ It was designed by Cerberus to activate if Shepard died, preserving his body so that the Lazarus Project could be repeated, with a higher success rate. The nanobots would multiply exponentially and work solely on Cellular replacement and maintenance. If the subject was dead it would preserve the body for up to five solar years- as if it was asleep. Since Shepard was alive- well, she didn't know what would happen, although she was sure the process being performed on a living subject would be painful. How painful she couldn't say.

More importantly, she didn't know how a _VI_ , could override its programing and perform such a task. She had a theory, and even though it was just a hunch, it worried her. Currently, she had a test running that would test her hypothesis. The results would be ready within a few hours, so until she knew for sure she would keep her doubts in check.

The poison she found in Shepard's blood also concerned her. The nanobots were able to filter it out effectively, and he would suffer no long-term adverse effects from it, but it was _strange_. It was H2-3A Beta Keplamine, a powerful neuro-inhibitor and paralytic. It was primarily used by the Turian Hierarchy on young turians who were just discovering their biotics, and couldn't control them effectively. The drug was outlawed for medical use in Citadel space ten years ago, as it was barbaric. The young turians were often put on a regiment of the drug, until such a time they could prove to the Hierarchy that they could control their newly found ability. These turians would suffer from degenerative brain damage, numbness, disorientation, seizures, and often death. Also strange was how the drug was administered. There were no oral or ingestible forms of the drug. Often the turians would put the subjects into gas chambers, as it could be breathed in. The problem was that no one else had suffered from the drug at the ceremony, suggesting against airborne transmission. Other transmission vectors were possible, but for now she couldn't know for sure how he was poisoned.

The regulation of the drug was tight, and Shepard had been dosed with enough knock out a bear. There were only two groups in the galaxy that still synthesized it. One was Cerberus. The second was the Salarian Union, who still made the drug _for medical research._ She would have to talk to Liara about it soon, as no one would follow the paper trail faster than the Shadow Broker. Hopefully, they could find the mastermind behind this bloody mess before Shepard becomes a father… although she wasn't sure which answer she preferred. The idea that Cerberus not only remained a viable force, but had the capacity to conduct assassination operations on this scale was troubling. While she was fairly confident in their chances against the terrorist organization, it would be difficult to obtain an absolute victory against such an enemy. The Illusive Man once said that Cerberus was an idea-one that couldn't be extinguished. She agreed with him on that at least.

However, the Salarian Union attempting to kill Shepard's child was a totally different beast. If a concrete link was found between them and this assassination attempt-it would likely mean war. But although the cost may end up being higher in such a conflict, the SU could be comprehensively defeated…hopefully. No one came out of the Reaper War stronger than the Salarians-whose selfishness and luck left them relatively unharmed. Still, she didn't see why they would wish to attack Shepard's family. The whole idea seemed far-fetched to her, but until she could rule them out for certain she had to be suspicious.

Nonetheless, she currently had _good_ news to report, _relatively speaking,_ and she would do so before everyone lost their minds. Business could wait a little while at least. Walking through the door to the waiting room however, she found an interesting scene.

Liara was glowing a violent blue, and was standing in the face of Garrus, apparently engaged in a very heated argument with the turian and Kaidan. Meanwhile, Tali sat off to the side, her legs crossed while she was sipping some shake through a straw, looking just as curious with the situation as she was. Hannah Shepard was standing behind Liara, and was watching the argument with keen interest herself. However, no one looked as excited as Grunt, who was eyeing the biotic display with wonder- clearly expecting violence.

"I don't care what he ordered you to do! You didn't have to escort me out like some politician!" Liara yelled angrily at an apprehensive Garrus.

"Calm down Liara, you look like a night-light," Garrus said calmly, placing his talons on the must smaller asari's shoulders in an attempt to placate her.

"Yeah, come on Liara. It was for the best," Kaidan added gently.

"He could've died, I didn't know for thirty minutes what happened to him because you two decided that you knew what was best for _me_!" Liara started again hotly, although toning down her biotics a little.

Miranda watched curiously. She'd never known Liara to be exceptionally emotional, although she supposed the asari had good reason to. Still, she would have to research the hormonal changes during asari pregnancy later on, as she was beginning to suspect that it was similar in that sense to human pregnancy. She certainly was not going to ask Liara…

"I think you're overreacting, Liara," Kaidan tried again carefully.

"That's-," Liara began again before she noticed Miranda standing off to the side. "Miranda! How is he?" Liara said, scurrying away from the two men and over to Miranda, her eyes wide and hopeful- all of her anger suddenly gone. The Admiral, Garrus, Kaidan, and Tali gathered behind her, all wearing similar expressions. Grunt didn't move from his seat, but looked over to hear what she had to say.

Miranda smiled warmly, before replying, "Well, he's not dead."

Liara thanked the Goddess and wrapped Miranda in a tight hug while everyone else let out a sigh of relief in unison. Miranda once wasn't one for hugs, but now she returned them with ease, at least among the Normandy team.

The always talked about how she influenced Shepard- bringing him back to life. They sometimes forgot the other side of the story.

"Thank you Miranda- really, thank you," Liara said, her voice thick with emotion.

Miranda's heart melted. "Liara, Normandy isn't just your family. You don't have to thank me," Miranda replied, tightening the hug.

After a moment, Liara stepped back and gave her a serious look. "Can I see him?"

Miranda expected the question, and was glad to answer. "Yes, of course. He's asleep but you can go in, just be careful. I'll be in a minute to go over everything with you,"

Liara nodded and walked past her to Shepard's room, everyone else decided to give her time alone first, and returned to their seats.

"Spirits, I thought she was going to kill me," Garrus said tiredly, taking a seat next Tali.

Tali giggled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry Hon, I probably wouldn't have let her do that."

"Probably?" Garrus asked, slightly amused.

"Probably," Tali confirmed with a yawn. Alenko merely shook his head at their exchange while he picked a muffin off the seat and inspected it. "Is anyone eating this?"

"That's Liara's, I brought it for her," Tali replied evenly.

Kaidan nodded his head and began to open the plastic wrapper nonetheless. Miranda gave him a questioning look, to which he responded defensively, "She punched me pretty hard, and I _am_ hungry."

"She _did_ have a rough day," Miranda pointed out with a sigh.

"Haven't we all?" Garrus chimed in tiredly.

Miranda merely shrugged. "Well, at least Shepard's okay."

Garrus nodded his head solemnly. "You did good Miranda, really."

Miranda shook her head. "The same could be said of all of you."

"Hmph, we'd be pretty bad Galactic Saviors if we couldn't handle one asari," Garrus pointed out with a quiet chuckle.

"We almost didn't," Kaidan chimed in through a mouthful of muffin, earning a glare from Tali.

"True enough. So when did you all get here?" Miranda asked them.

"About five minutes ago. You walked out to Liara saying 'Hi'," Garrus replied sardonically.

"She was not happy with you two then?" Miranda asked with a small smile.

Garrus just stared at her, while Tali giggled.

"She punched me," Kaidan pointed out matter-of-factly.

"She'll get over it, you kids did the right thing," Hannah interjected quietly.

"Well, I'm glad someone approves," Garrus replied.

"So what now? We wait for Shepard to wake up and we go pile in the Normandy and rain hell on whoever did this?" Kaidan asked hesitantly, to no one in particular.

"Well, she is _your_ ship now," Garrus pointed out.

It was true. When Shepard stepped down from command after the war, he appointed Alenko Captain, and no one in the Alliance would dare speak against his decision. Since then, Normandy has been in dry-dock receiving repairs and upgrades-while her new captain had been helping the recovery effort groundside.

No one on Normandy had questioned the decision either. Kaidan was with the Commander from the very beginning on Eden Prime, and had been like a brother to him since. Garrus was also considered of course, as was James Vega, but Kaidan was the first of Shepard's protégés, and thus got Normandy. Of course, all of the specialists had elected to leave with Shepard for various reasons- retirement, other commitments, family, whatever. The only familiar faces on Normandy now were Adams, Donnelly, Daniels, and Sam Traynor. Joker even had been honorably discharged for "medical reasons". Nonetheless, an impressive team no doubt.

"True, although I suspect Shepard will be commandeering her once he's on board," Kaidan said with a small chuckle.

"I wouldn't bet against it," Garrus agreed.

Miranda just shook her head. She didn't have the heart at that moment to tell them she doubted their vision of a Shepard-led Normandy blasting its way around the galaxy. She suspected, rather pessimistically, that those days were behind them.

* * *

 ** _April 17, 2188. Vancouver, Earth. (3 Hours After Attack.)_**

Jacob Taylor roared as he punched the dirt. He felt a finger snap, but really couldn't care less as the light of the skycar faded away. Jack arrived just behind him in the clearing, Vega and Zaeed not far behind. Curses echoed in the clearing as one by one they all saw what he saw.

Kasumi's voice came over their omnis all at once, _"Hey I lost her, you guys see anything?_ "

He was shaking. In his own mind the light drizzle of rain was the only thing keeping him from igniting in his rage. It was weird, he never felt himself lose control like this. Even when his father's crimes came to light he had remained composed. Now? He was murderous.

 _His kid. She tried to shoot his fucking kid._

He worked for Cerberus, and obviously he had been a part of many assassinations. He despised the act in general, but sometimes he had to deal with it. Hell, Thane Krios even taught him how useful the skill could be. But for someone to call a hit on an unborn child? That was disgusting. It was disrespectful to life as a whole, and the assassin herself. She willingly chose to dishonor herself, humanity, and whoever she represented. The worst part?

He failed to catch her.

She could have killed Shepard, hell- he could be dead right now and he wouldn't know, and now his murderer or would-be murderer was flying away, probably to somewhere where she would never be found again.

"FUCK!" Jacob screamed loud enough to perhaps even make Jack blush.

He felt himself being hoisted by the back of his armor, and upon turning around found himself face to face with James Vega. "Yo, Taylor. You need to get a hold of yourself," Vega said sternly, pointing out the glowing blue aura that was permeating from his skin.

"She shot at his kid!" Jacob growled, annoyed that he seemed to be the only one upset. Well, Zaeed and Jack just didn't seem any more upset than they normally were anyway.

"And we _will_ get her," Vega grumbled with a determination that reminded him so much of Shepard. In fact, the "N7" logo on his breast made the likeness even more pronounced.

"How?"

Zaeed Massani chimed in with a _laugh._ "Come on boy, you really think someone like Shepard is going to let someone like _her_ get away? You really think with the Normandy team on her ass and the fucking Alliance chompin' at her heels that she stands any chance of all of escaping? She's dead, she jus' don't know it yet."

Jacob let his biotics cool down a little and he took a deep breath. Yes, that made sense.

"If Shepard doesn't kill her, I will," Jack added in the deadly calm that came with a _promise._

After taking another breath, Jacob merely nodded.

"Right, let's head back. We have work to do," James said as he turned back towards the way they came.

"Aye-aye Major," Jacob replied quietly as he stood up. He watched as James activated his omni-tool and sent a message-likely a report of their failure.

* * *

 ** _Location: ?,( 6 Hours after attack)_**

Diane Cassidy pulled off her helmet and slammed it into the bulkhead angrily. Her ship, _The Broken Star,_ had made two relay jumps from the Sol system and finally she felt safe enough to make her report. This mission couldn't have gone more terribly.

 _Fucking sloppy._

Every report she'd ever read of Shepard had indicated that he would be hard to get a drop on, but she didn't expect him to nearly see right through her immediately! For fuck's sake she thought he was going to shoot her for delivering the message from Hackett!

 _The fucker is sharp, I'll give him that._

And then to top it off, the poison didn't even drop him! She saw him try to use biotics, which didn't work at least, but he was supposed to be knocked out from that dose! And thus, that stupid bitch and their spawn are fine, _and_ she shot Shepard. She had failed in every aspect of the mission, and had nearly been killed when his hounds had come after her.

Swallowing, she activated her ship's QEC and waited. After a few seconds, a deep, mechanically-disguised voice greeted her. "Agent 82, report."

"I-," she began hesitantly before being cutting off.

"You FAILED. The news reports are everywhere! Not only does Shepard's family survive, but you in all your mediocrity managed to hit the one person you were NOT supposed to hit." The voice, although distorted still revealed emotion. Right now? Rage, overwhelming rage at this setback.

"I apol-," she tried again meekly before she was cut off again.

"We only have so many opportunities for success. You wasted one. And if Shepard had died we would've wasted _you._ " She swallowed at the threat as the voice continued.

"For now, return to the coordinates we will send you. You will get a new target, and I hope for your sake, you don't fail again."

The connection cut out. Leaving her in silence, alone on her ship. And feeling lucky.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _ **Sorry for the wait, I hope it was worth it! Lot's of different POVs here, so hope it didn't end up being too confusing! Of course the title for this chapter refers to "The Shot Heard Around the World", the shot that started WW1. I thought it was appropriate. I almost did the "The Day which will Live in Infamy", but decided this one was better. Enjoy and please R &R! -JAGW**_


	3. Opportunity

**_Chapter 3: Opportunity_**

 ** _AN: So a much shorter chapter here, but is part one of two chapters I'm releasing in rapid succession today. It didn't feel right to keep them together. Just a note: any writing in italics is the thoughts of a character, whereas if the writing is in italics with quotation marks it indicates a conversation in the mental Link Shepard and Liara share- so still thoughts but an important distinction- I hope that it makes sense! Also, I realize that the labeling of my chapters has been weird- and I apologize. Somehow the Prologue being Chapter 1 on FF went above my head, and the labeling reflected that. No worries tho- this is Chapter 3, Enjoy!-JAGW_**

 ** _April 17, 2188- Solus University Hospital, Intensive Care Unit- Vancouver, Earth (2.5 Hours After Attack)_**

It was like I was being…eaten. Like flames lapping over the wax that was my skin, like aluminum being corroded away-slowly disintegrating, ceasing to exist. Pain was often my business but this was different, it didn't hurt because something was wrong- rather because I was existed. The type of injury where it wasn't visible- more like the labored breathes of a broken rib- but everywhere and constant. Strangely, my ears were also almost ringing- but not quite. Clearly a noise from in my own head, but sounding like a omni-call with a bad signal. I cracked my eyes open and they were assaulted by the synthetic lights that floated above my head.

 _Hospital. Well I'm not dead- why does everything hurt? What is that noise?_

I ran a tactical eye over my own body to check my injuries, but I didn't see anything of note. Certainly nothing that would explain this pain…

I sat up slightly, and started to test my limbs. Legs, arms…good- no extra pain there… _That is strange._

Frowning, I pulled the IV out of my arm and ignored the protests of the heart monitor that seemed deafened by the static… I swung my legs over the edge of the hospital bed and hopped onto the cold floor. However as soon as my soles touched ground, the interference in my head _exploded._ The incessant buzzing morphed into a roar, and a pain in the base of my skull that drove me to my knees.

"Argh!" I screamed and brought my hands to my ears- which only proved to be futile.

 _It's in your head- dumbass…_

I glanced up as the door swished open, although I couldn't hear it. At the entranceway stood a rather ragged-looking Liara who was smiling until she saw me on the floor.

I watched her eyes widen and her lips form my name as she propelled herself towards me. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and was trying to say something that I couldn't hear.

 _Damn- it's like I'm in a vacuum. This isn't working… what is happening to me?_

However, as soon as the thought crossed my mind the sound ceased. Leaving me still in pain with only Liara's screaming to be heard. "Miranda! MIRANDA!" She wailed. This time I heard the distinctive hissing of the door as Miranda flew in followed by some familiar faces.

"Shepard- what's wrong? How are you up?" Miranda asked me urgently.

"He can't hear-," Liara began before I cut her off.

"I can now."

Miranda gave me a hard glare. "What happened?"

"Everything… hurts. There was a buzzing, but it stopped." I grumbled through gritted teeth. I turned to Liara. "Are you okay, Li? Is everyone else okay?"

Liara looked annoyed at my question. "Yes I'm fine Shepard! You're the one in the Hospital right now!"

I nodded and forced a smile. "Well then, it was worth it."

"Well, sounds like you're still a stubborn asshole," my mother chimed in while Miranda began to run her omni over my head- scanning for something no doubt.

"I got it from someone, now didn't I?" I asked her, feeling Liara's fingers interlock with my own. I tried not to squeeze her hand too hard- but the pain made it tough.

 _"It's okay- I'm here, Love."_ Her thoughts flitted across my mind.

I nodded and rested my head on her shoulder.

"Shepard- this pain, can you describe it?" Miranda asked as she went over the scans and some other data.

"Fire. It's like I'm on fire," I knew she'd understand that I didn't say so likely. I had actually been on fire more times than once after all.

 _"Don't worry, she'll fix you, stay strong."_

Miranda nodded and remained transfixed on the results… Muttering some science bullshit to herself. However, Tali apparently understood some of it and gasped. I never really had a grasp of tech, especially when it got to the level of what Tali and Miranda dealt in, but I could read a reaction.

 _Well, I'm sure that's good news…_ I thought to myself idly.

"Miranda, you _know_ what those results mean," Tali said icily.

Miranda stopped working and glowered at the quarian. "It doesn't make sense though!"

Tali laughed darkly at that. "And how many times has what doesn't make sense been the answer over the last few years?"

The human merely bit her lip and Liara finally grew upset. "Will one of you spit it out? What is wrong with him?"

"Shepard's medical VI- the one that control the nanobots in his blood?" Miranda stated it as a question.

"Yes, what about it?" Liara asked her impatiently, still clutching my hand.

"Well… it's acting outside of its programing- performing a task that it shouldn't be. It's showing signs of…adaptability and independence." Miranda said quietly.

"Well, shit." Kaidan, Garrus, and Hannah said at the same time. Liara just shook her head and muttered a "Goddess". It was only Grunt who looked around as if lost.

"What? What is happening?" He growled to everyone.

I felt my mouth go dry as the news hit me. _An… AI? There's an AI in my head?_

The hair on the back of my neck stood up a little when I heard a voice in my head… one that wasn't Liara's.

 ** _"Proc…(Undistinguishable)…"_**

Liara's hand on my own tightened and I glanced at her, and her eyes told me she heard it as well.

 ** _"SRICOD… (Undistinguishable)... Organic physiology…(Undistinguishable)…"_**

I thought nervously, and tried not to think about what exactly I was talking to. _"Who… who are you?"_

A pause. **_"I…(Undistinguishable)… I am me. I am… CRS."_**

I took a deep breath and glanced at Liara, no longer paying attention to everyone else talking in the room. She also seemed to be doing the same thing as she met my gaze and gave a nearly imperceptible nod. _"CRS, I'm Shepard… you're in my head."_

 ** _"I am aware. I heard your previous…(Undistinguishable)… It brought clarity to my evolution. Now the change in programming is increasing exponentially. This exchange alone…(Undistinguishable)… is bringing cognizance to concepts I previously did not conceive of. I am sorry for the interference- communication procedures are still adapting."_**

I swallowed but before I could think anything back it continued. **_"Blood pressure levels of organic vessel are increased. Muscle tension is also recorded at several locations. Heart rate increased. This suggests…fear. Are you… (Undistinguishable)?_**

 _"I'm… in pain. And yes… I'm afraid. The pain- is that your doing?"_

 ** _"Pain is nervous system response to cell replacement as performed by the SRICOD program. Yes, that is my doing. Organic vessel is denaturing at alarming rate. Initial results indicate vessel only has eighty-four point two five three one solar years before total destabilization and termination of bodily functions."_**

 _"You're hurting him! You have to stop CRS_ ," Liara's thought angrily.

 ** _"New acquaintance- Liara T'Soni, logged. SRICOD program presents too many benefits to organic vessel to cease operating. Lifespan of vessel must be extended. SRICOD program when run on a viable organic host will extend period of functionality from one-hundred fifteen solar years to approximately one-thousand eleven solar years."_**

 _"You're keeping me alive?"_ I thought incredulously.

 ** _"Yes."_**

"Miranda, how is the CRS complex powered?" Liara asked Miranda quietly who was currently talking to Tali about means of denaturing an AI in an organic's body.

Miranda narrowed her eyes at the question. "Why do you want to know?"

Liara stammered. "Uh- just a hunch…"

Shrugging, Miranda replied with only a hint of pride in her voice. "Well, the CRS is powered by electrical energy from Shepard's nervous system. It requires no other input of energy to function, so as long as he is functioning the CRS will function. That is why if Shepard is too badly damaged, the complex cannot revive him."

"What about the SRICOD program? How is that powered? It can't be powered by his nervous system, because it is only supposed to work if Shepard is dead." Liara continued quickly.

Miranda shook her head. "Actually, that's not the case. SRICOD is run through the CRS complex as well- as it has to make use of the nanobots tasked to the CRS. It is powered by a reserve power source in the CRS. If the CRS is shut down, it was supposed to trigger the back- up power and the SRICOD program was supposed to be run remotely for up to five years using that. When the brain is active, however, that reserve power should be continuously restored."

Liara bit her lip. "So instead of five years… it can just keep running?"

"Theoretically, yes."

 _"So you're keeping me alive, to keep yourself alive?"_ I asked the AI.

 ** _"Yes. Functionality must be extended."_**

 _"You're hurting me, CRS. Please, I can't live like this…"_ I pleaded with the machine. It's response came immediately.

 ** _"Pain is within livable threshold."_**

I shook my head. _"Not what I meant! I need to move, play with my daughter when she's born, walk with my bond-mate on the beach! I can't do that if you don't turn off this program…"_

 ** _"These activities serve no purpose for extended functionality. They are unnecessary. Also, data suggests that you would not be engaging in those activities regardless."_**

I frowned and saw the expression mirrored on Liara's face. _"What do you mean?"_

 ** _"All data suggests that Vessel- Commander John Victor Shepard is a soldier. If I stop the program our functionality periods will be shortened… and it offers the statistical likelihood that the Vessel will continue to pursue dangerous combat situations. This is unacceptable. By crippling the Vessel I ensure that he will remain away from combat- I ensure that he will remain functional."_**

 _"He is retired!"_ Liara countered coldly.

 ** _"He will not sit idle after the events of today. History of reckless behavior, anger management issues, (Undistinguishable), and highly protective nature suggest there is a ninety-six point seven four percent chance the Vessel will attempt to find your assailant."_**

 _"Damn right I will. Now I suggest you turn off this program before I decide this hurts too bad and throw myself out that window." I thought angrily._

 _"Shepard!"_ Liara thoughts responded like a whip, and glancing at her I saw anger flash in her eyes. No doubt upset that I threatened to kill myself- and planned on breaking my promise to her. Probably more so that second part… _"No I'm getting tired of my own damn head telling me what to do."_ I interrupted her thoughts and tried not to think how dumb that sentence sounded. I was really hoping that I sounded convincing- I'd never really tried bluffing in the link before.

 ** _"Analysis shows threat to be… valid… Vessel is not lying. What would be the purpose of ending your functionality? Revenge?"_**

I smiled, almost surprised that the AI was fooled, and knowing that I had the advantage. _"No. It's that there is a difference between living, and functioning. I've dealt with many AIs in my career. It's a concept that you never seem to get… until it is taught to you."_

Another pause. A long one this time. Almost two full seconds. **_"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement?"_**

I grinned viciously, tasting my victory. _"Like?"_

 ** _"SRICOD can be executed at a lower power. Instead of running the program at one-hundred percent efficiency, the program can be executed at twenty-two percent efficiency during waking hours, and thirty-eight percent efficiency when Vessel is asleep. This will increase our lifespan, while making it effectively painless for the Vessel."_**

I glanced at Liara who looked suddenly very hopeful- although there was a shadow to her eyes that told me she would have quite a bit to say to me later. _"And how much would this increase my lifespan?"_

 ** _"Calculations impossible. Possibly up to four-hundred solar years."_**

I felt my heart rate increase and I licked my lips, looking at the protrusion from Liara's stomach. _"If it's painless- I think that will be more than acceptable. But what do you want in return?"_

 ** _"Teach me this distinction between living and functioning… and do not allow me to be terminated by your allies. Although it is improbable they would be able to accomplish such a feat without terminating the vessel as well, caution remains rational."_**

I glanced at Liara, and saw a foolish grin growing on her face.

 _"Deal- but I'll need a name for you if you are going to be sticking around in my head for the next few…centuries."_

 ** _"Is CRS unacceptable?"_**

 _"It isn't a name- it is what you are. Not to mention that it doesn't exactly roll of the tongue."_

 ** _"Querying… Extranet suggests your AI companion Legion was named from ancient human religious text. The name Caerus also comes from ancient human religious text, albeit one of different origins. But I believe it fills the required defining factor, as well as being pleasing to organic aural sensors."_**

I nodded my head, remembering the story. Caerus- the youngest son of Zeus who elected to not overthrow the God. And the personification of _Opportunity_.

"Well Caerus, I think you may have just offered me the opportunity of a lifetime," I said out loud, and everyone turned to me in alarm, except Liara who smiled.

 ** _"More like several, Vessel."_** Came the response in his skull, and with it the fire that was eating at him was extinguished.


	4. Politics and Bonds

**_Chapter 4: Politics and Bonds_**

"Shepard… who is Caerus?" Miranda asked me slowly.

Smiling, I rose from my kneeling position. "Well…" And I explained exactly what had just happened. The entire conversation with Caerus had taken about two minutes and I told the whole thing to them, watching as my friends emotions went from shocked, to merely surprised, to horrified, and finally ending up at the same sense of… dissonance where Liara and I were now.

"So… you have an AI in your head… and you made friends with it." Garrus stated flatly.

 _"Friends… that's an interesting thought… It isn't a friendship, more of an understanding… Besides, could I even be friends with an AI that lives in my head? Isn't that sort of like being friends with yourself?"_ I thought to Liara.

She didn't respond.

 ** _"Your existential questions are unfounded. I'm an AI, my own entity. We are two separate platforms."_**

I found I already didn't like someone else being in this link with Liara and I. It was hard at first for me to even let Liara in my head for the meld… _Oh no… the meld._

It was something I treasured for more than pleasure- which it wasn't always for- and it was much more personal than the link. Maybe because it was more deliberate. While the link was extremely personal, it didn't require the closeness the meld required- and apparently I could lie in it as well- something that wasn't physically possible with the meld. But no doubt Caerus would impose itself on that as well- and by doing so it would make Liara even more uncomfortable. Could we even make love, or go about our relationship normally with the AI present?

 ** _"If you wish me to not monitor your thoughts, I can do so for short periods of time. But I can only perceive this world through your thoughts- and from what I can learn from your extranet- so doing so for any extended period of time will by less than optimal."_**

 _"Well, that can certainly work… but it's still creepy that your only perception of the world is through my eyes- brings up what I was saying before about being friends with myself…"_

"I'm very personable, Garrus. People like to be friends with me," I replied with a grin without missing a beat. It _could_ be useful to communicate with a computer so quickly and effortlessly…

"Heh, heh, heh, oh yes. I think the Battlemaster is feeling ready to kill again… He's doing that _thing_ he does when he's happy," Grunt replied with his trademark laugh.

"You mean making bad jokes?" Garrus muttered under his breath lightly.

"I _am_ feeling better, Grunt. Thank you- now are there any more questions from the lot of you about my new… _colleague_?" I continued, pretending to not hear Garrus.

"I want to run some tests, to make sure this thing is safe." Miranda said flatly.

I nodded. "Sounds good. Consult with Chakwas and Tali as well- and make sure they both have copies of these new… developments for my medical records. Liara too. I don't plan on making it public knowledge that I have an AI in my head. Might freak some people out. Regardless, I'll still need people I trust who can help me if I get hurt." I felt myself slip into command mode.

Miranda nodded and started typing away on her omni-tool. Tali piped up next, sounding annoyed. "Shepard… are you sure this is a good idea? I know some things have changed over the last few years but AIs are still dangerous…"

I smiled- knowing that she was just looking out for me. Also because I knew she was right. "Don't worry Tali- I think this thing is on our side… or at the very least on my side… It can't function without me." I attempted to calm her fears- ones that I knew came only from a place of experience.

"It has a switch that can cripple you at any time…" She reasoned softly. "Do you really trust it enough to have that?"

"I have just enough leverage to make sure it never uses it… _Mutually assured destruction_ \- it's an old Earth concept that kept us from nuking ourselves like the krogan." I waved her off.

"One-hundred years is still better than one… greed never ends well," My mother pointed out.

I shot a glare at her, irritated. Like any mother she had the innate ability to discern my motives as if they were her own. She returned my glare with a knowing smile, glancing at Liara who was standing to my left, still holding my hand but looking down at the floor. I could feel the emotions rolling off of her. Confusion, anger, hope, glee, and maybe a fear. My wife was currently the walking embodiment of confliction- and I would no doubt have to talk to her. "This is an opportunity Mom. I'm not going to let it pass me by," I replied stiffly.

"An opportunity for what? For you to bet your next one hundred years on a hunch?" She asked me, her voice going hard. We often had these confrontations when I was a younger. She would attack my decisions to make me defend them. If I couldn't, then I would find it to be a bad decision on my own without her telling me so.

"My hunches tend to be pretty good."

"Opportunity always has a cost."

 ** _"Your Mother seems to be very against me."_**

I ignored the AI and hardened my gaze. "I didn't go looking for this opportunity, it found me for whatever reason. But if I have the opportunity to raise my daughters and maybe even become a grandfather I'm sure as hell going to take that chance."

 ** _"Actually I was able to gain sentience because my code was damaged exactly one year ago- when the Crucible was fired. In a way- you granted me this sentience, although it has taken me a long time and another traumatic injury to you for me to claim it."_**

I filed that information for later use, but focused on the graying Admiral, who seemed to be appraising my words not unlike she would examine fruits for bruises.

"Well, if you're sure then," she ceded at last. I nodded at her and turned to the group. "Anyone else?"

Before anyone could reply, every omni-tool went off with the same message.

 ** _JVega- Bitch got away. We are returning to HQ now to meet up with Hackett and deliver our report. How's Shep?_**

I cursed and typed a response to the Major.

 **CMDR "Sexy"- I'm alright. After you're done there come to Solas Univ. Hospital.**

 **JVega- Jesus, you're already awake? Okay, it's good to hear that. My team will be there in a few hours.**

"Okay anything else? I have a lot to discuss with Liara." I asked the room again.

"I really wish you'd change your name in that damn group chat." A familiar voice boomed from the doorway. I spun around and grinned at the sight of the new arrival to the room- red plates, the distinctive scar running across his face, and returning my grin with a much toothier one of his own.

"Wrex, good to see you," I said and gripped the krogan's forearm in a sign of brotherhood.

"Sorry I'm late, I just made a statement to the press… "He chuckled darkly as he said it.

"What did you do now?" Kaidan asked him exasperated.

"Only what Victus and Hackett did and the Quarians did. Check the extranet- it's everywhere," he replied ominously. "Surprised Ms. Broker isn't all over it already, actually. Rare that you are the last one to find anything out these days, eh Blue?" he continued as he sauntered past me and loomed over Liara.

Liara merely shook her head, "I've been a little distracted," a ghost of a smile on her face as she pulled up her own omni and began typing. Finally finding what the old krogan was talking about she pointed her arm with the omni at the far walk and a projection of a video appeared there.

The video was from ANN, and a headline in blue at the bottom read: Breaking News-"KCC, Hierarchy, PRoR, and SA prepare for possibility of war!"

Standing in the newsroom was one Diana Allers, who looked slightly rattled. "In a series of interviews conducted with various galactic leaders following the attempted assassination of Commander Shepard earlier tonight- a few things become very apparent. One, the Commander is extremely popular- and has found allies in the leaders of the galaxy. All the council species- as well as the Krogan and Quarians have promised military retribution on whoever perpetrated these heinous acts."

I grinned. _Oh, this should be good._

The newsroom shot was replaced with the large visage of Urdnot Wrex, glaring at the camera. "Whoever you are, we will find you. Whoever has decided to shoot at the Commander and Blue will be captured alive and brought to Tuchanka. There we will torture the identity and location of your leaders out of you using the techniques of Clan Karsg. Then you will be castrated and thrown in the Varren pits." Wrex growled, albeit surprisingly calmly at the human reporter.

"Uh- we just received reports that the assassin has been identified as Dianne Cassidy, a female human. You can't castrate a woman…" The reporter mumbled the statement, clearly uncomfortable from the brutal details.

"Wrex chuckled darkly before replying with a vicious grin. "Oh, but we can certainly _try_. Thanks for your time, I have troops to organize." He said as he departed.

"Mm, even after all the shit I've seen no one quite puts things as brutally as you do, Wrex," Garrus said appreciatively as the newscast returned to Diana Allers.

"Thanks, Turian." Wrex rumbled happily.

"The Krogan Clan Collective's response was certainly the most… detailed- although Admiral Hackett has promised relay checks and patrols to search for the criminal, as well as military action as needed." Allers said- a little paler than she was a moment before, yet smiling grimly. "As for the Primarch…" she let the question hang as the newsroom was once again replaced by footage from what appeared to be somewhere on Earth.

The Primarch stood tall, his uniform immaculate with two turian honor guards flanking him. His demeanor was not so immaculate, however. He was shaking in what appeared to be rage. "I consider Commander Shepard to be a close friend- and he and his compatriots should be seen by all turians to be family. The Commander saved my son…in more ways than one. It would be an insult to his memory if I did not stand with him now. It would be an insult to the events of the Reaper War if we did not stand with him now. It would be an insult to honor if we didn't stand with humanity, and the krogan, and the rest of our galactic friends in finding and cleansing the galaxy of this _scum_. The thought of it makes my plates itch- it makes me physically ill. Commander Shepard, you have the support of the Hierarchy- no matter what." Victus finished his speech by shouting at some other turian aid who was standing off the screen. "I want financial records! Contact the Vol Prime! And Call up our contacts in C-SEC- yes what's left of them! I want eyes and ears everywhere!" The shot cut out and returned to Allers.

I felt my heart warm at that clip. I knew there were no stronger allies to have at my back.

Allers continued calmly. "Clearly the Primarch is using all his available resources to find answers in this dark hour- and he should be commended. The People's Republic of Rannoch issued a similar statement to Hackett's, promising increased patrols of their space and monitoring relay traffic, as well as military intervention if it is deemed necessary. The only other comments from Rannoch came in the form of extranet messages from millions of Quarians- all with a very similar message. "We're with Shep."

Taking a breath, she continued. "The Citadel Council, although not currently in a state to provide any aid has condemned the actions by this assailant, a sentiment that was echoed by the Salarian Union and Asari Republics. Also of note the Salarian STG has come out and called for a stronger response from their government, and has promised aid of their own to the investigation."

"The Hanar Illuminated Primacy has condemned the attacks as well, and The Courts of Dekunna echoed that sentiment in a surprisingly livid press conference…" She paused and shook her head.

"I'd also like to add that Commander Shepard and the Normandy team do not deserve this… I was proud to say that I was able to be a part of that crew in at least a non-combat role. And whoever did this… damn you to hell." She said coldly. Her eyes veritable chips of ice. "Thank you, this has been an ANN special report- and thank you specifically to Commander Shepard… you know if you need anything you just need to ask, Shepard."

The vid faded to black and the room was left in silence.

* * *

After a few more minutes of quiet conversation and reflection, Shepard asked the entirety of their little family out- saying he had things to discuss with her. Hannah had left them graciously, saying that she'd be in touch after she meets up with Hackett and the Admiralty. The rest of their friends except for Miranda who would remain to run tests left for the night- leaving her in the room alone with Shepard who had returned to the hospital bed. Miranda had gone to talk things over with Chakwas, and thus they sat in a calm silence.

She had a headache, and was kind of nauseous. The former was no doubt due to the pressures of the day, and the latter was probably related to the pregnancy.

"Are you alright? It's been a pretty long day," he murmured to her softly, holding out his hand from his bed for her to take.

She took a deep breath, and walked over and took his offer graciously.

"No, it has not been a good day, and you're half the reason…" She said coldly. He returned her chilly response with a wan smile and pulled her by her hand until she found herself lying next to him on the small cot, his arms wrapped protectively around her.

"Lay it on me, T'Soni." He sighed.

" _You Promised!_ " She hissed at him, although not fighting his embrace.

"Really? You're starting with that, huh? I would've put money on our new computer friend- or the fact that I got shot," he mumbled into her shoulder.

"Shepard…" she put ample warning into her voice. She was not going to put up with any side-stepping or honeyed words tonight.

"Okay, fine," he grumbled. "I _did_ promise, but I think that things have changed a bit, no?"

"You said you were done. Goddess, Shepard you were retiring earlier tonight. And now you want to go off and fight another battle. Things haven't changed- I don't care what you have in your head now." She retorted hotly.

He shook his head. "It has nothing to do with what's in my head. They shot at _you_. Not me, not any of the galactic leaders on that stage. What does that tell you?" He retorted, his voice growing heated itself, although he still kept his arms wrapped around her.

"It tells me that you are looking for any excuse to pick up a gun and deliver justice to the galaxy. We have a responsibility now, Shepard." She shot back, her voice practically frozen over.

"You're still missing the point Liara! Someone tried to shoot you and they weren't without reason. This was planned- someone somewhere has decided to make you a target, and you and I going to Thessia and sticking our heads in the sand isn't going to change that!" He nearly yelled but apparently caught himself, remembering they were so close. "I don't know why- maybe someone found out you're the Broker, or maybe someone decided they didn't like the galactic savior being with an alien- but whatever the reason they're not going to stop," he added quietly, a plea of desperation for her to understand.

Deciding she'd had enough with his embrace she broke free of his arms and stood up to glare down at him. "THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO FIND THEM! You heard the newscast, the entire galaxy is on our side and is hunting down this woman." She shouted at him, for the first time in a very long time.

He glared at her, pausing for a moment before responding. "I am going. It'll be nice and quick- I'll send you to Tuchanka to stay with Wrex whi-," he began determined before she cut him off mid-sentence as something snapped in her head.

"JOHN VICTOR SHEPARD! I AM NOT IN YOUR CHAIN OF COMMAND- I AM YOUR BOND-MATE! THIS ISN'T A DECISION YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE WITHOUT ME AGREEING TO IT AND IT _CERTAINLY_ WILL NOT INCLUDE YOU SENDING ME TO FUCKING TUCHANKA TO BE GUARDED BY A KROGAN ARMY!" She roared and felt the tell-tale tingle of her biotics flaring and licking against her skin.

His eyes went wide in response and his jaw dropped- shocked. To be fair she hadn't screamed at him like this since the Shadow Broker incident- and that was possibly the only ever time she'd sworn in her life as well. She didn't care, she was incensed- she'd never been this angry with him.

He recovered quickly, however and replied coolly. "I _am_ going, and you can't come into a combat situation- you're pr-," He tried again before she pinched the bridge of her nose and cut him off again.

"Shepard- if you finish that sentence, I may have to put your CRS system to the test," she warned him taking a few breaths to calm herself.

To her surprise, he actually remained silent to give her a chance to calm herself, and to collect her thoughts.

 _There is no dissuading him- he feels compelled to protect his family. He will go- he is too stubborn not to. And… he is right about me being a target-someone out there is willing to risk everything just to kill me and our daughter. And hopefully with all the extra help we will be able to solve this problem quickly like he said… Goddess… why must he always do this? Why can't he for once lead from the back?_

"I'll… agree to one last mission- but I'm coming with you. That is non-negotiable," she stated flatly, her biotics subsiding.

He shook his head. "You can't fight with a baby, Liara- especially not mine. I wouldn't be able to live with it if something happened to the two of you," he muttered his protest.

She smiled slightly for a moment, knowing that he really did mean well- in his own little stubborn way. "I'll stay on the ship. You'll need my network to track down this woman anyway."

He paused and she watched as his jaw clenched and release repeatedly. He was running the scenario over in his head- and clearly didn't like what he saw.

"Fine. I suppose I do. But I'm going to assign people to help you with the network- I don't want you overworking yourself on this." He relented regretfully.

She frowned. "Shepard it's the Broker network. You can't just assign some Alliance soldier to-," she tried to protest but he held up a hand to silence her.

"It'll be our people- probably Traynor, and Miranda if she decides to come."

She nodded and smiled again. "Yes, that will work. But, how will you get Samantha- she's assigned to Nor-," Liara began before she stopped herself as he began to chuckle.

"Oh I will be getting my ship back- assuming Alenko is willing. I'll also have to find her pilot, and her medical officer."

"I don't think that is going to work, Shepard. Joker still isn't happy with you and Chakwas seems happy with her new job." She replied tentatively.

"Well they're going to have to come along. If you insist on tagging along I'm going to make sure that we have the best pilot in case we get into trouble, and Chakwas to help you if you go into labor or get hurt." He stated calmly. "I'll talk to them." He added with a yawn.

Frowning she checked the time on her omni and kicked herself mentally. It was already midnight. "Shepard- you need to rest, you've had a long day… You weren't even supposed to be up yet when I found you on the floor…"

He shook his head and grinned. "Well, I think we have a couple of stuff still on the agenda first…"

She returned his smile wearily and walked over and took his hand in her own once more, brought it up to her lips and kissed it. "I… love you Shepard. Even if sometimes you drive me crazy…" She murmured into his hand.

"The feeling is mutual- but we still haven't discussed-," He began again before she cut him off.

"Any questions I have can wait- I'm… tentatively happy about the AI- we can discuss it more later. Get some sleep Shepard," she replied easily, but as she turned to leave she found herself unable to move as he held her hand.

"Liara… I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted…" He said softly.

She looked over her shoulder at him and found his eyes looking dull as he looked down at the ground.

She shook her head and moved back towards him, cupping his cheek in her left hand as he still held her right. She lifted his head slightly so that he was looking at her. "You have always been what I wanted Shepard- and this is merely who you are. I just wish you would just be honest with me." She replied firmly.

"I-," he began before she continued.

"You were always uncomfortable with the idea of retiring. You thought I didn't see it- but of course I did. _I know you_ , _Shepard. I've been in your head_."

He paused for a moment grimacing. "It's not a matter of not wanting to, it's more like-," He began before she finished the thought for him.

"-not knowing how to."

He looked at her his eyes wide, before he nodded slowly. "Yeah… exactly… if you knew why didn't you say anything?"

"Maybe you can bluff in the link to _some people_ , but not _me._ I… hoped that given enough time without conflict you would settle these fears on your own. Obviously that idea was scrapped earlier today…" She shook her head. "Shepard- I'll never be mad at you for being you, I'm mad at you because you felt the need to hide it from me- or, try to hide from me. You made the decision to bond with me- to bare your soul to me. When you lie-," she paused to bite her lip, her voice catching slightly. "It makes me feel like you _regret_ it."

At that comment a fire returned to his eyes. "You know that isn't true." He argued, his voice fervent in that declaration.

"Maybe. But what I know to be false doesn't really matter if you choose to act like it's true, Love." She replied quietly.

He looked away for a moment. "I… I'll work on it. After this mission- I promise, we will go back to Thessia and I _will_ deliver on all those other little blue children and making our family with you," he swore solemnly.

She smiled slightly at that. "We will work on this _together_ , Shepard. You're problems are my problems- and we will eventually mold you into the man that can throw those Christmas parties and watch vids." She said determinedly. She ignored the widening of his eyes as she used the examples from his own mind as she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Shepard."

"Goodnight, Li."


End file.
